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News Roundup, Jan. 14: "Survivor"...Battle of the Sexes?

By:
Guylaine Cadorette
Jan 15, 2003

Top Story
CBS has a new twist in store for the sixth edition of its popular reality TV series Survivor, and it's all about the girls vs. the boys. A month before the show is set to debut, the network screened 12 minutes of the premiere of Survivor: The Amazon for critics, revealing two tribes, Tambaqui (men) and Jaburu (women). While Survivor producers thought the format change was necessary to keep the show unpredictable, host Jeff Probst said the same-sex grouping presented its own challenges. Initially, Probst told The Associated Press, women couldn't flaunt "string bikinis to show off" and gain advantage. "Keeping them separated, the sexual tension kept building. When they met for challenges, it was like a mixer," he said. Survivor: The Amazon debuts on Feb. 13 with a 90-minute premiere.
Celebs
It seems Nia Vardalos, the star and writer of the sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, isn't sharing the wealth, at least according to her former management company. Marathon Entertainment filed a lawsuit Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging Vardalos reneged on several oral agreements to pay the company from the film's proceeds, Variety reports. Her attorney said the allegations were without merit and that the company has already been paid commission on all monies that Vardalos has received.
Director Kinji Fukasaku, who helmed the 1970s historical drama Tora! Tora! Tora!, died of cancer over the weekend in Tokyo, Variety reports. He was 72. Fukasaku gained international recognition for the war epic, a reconstruction from both sides of the events leading up to Pearl Harbor. His last project was 2002's apocalyptic thriller Battle Royale, featuring brutal killings among high school students, which became a surprise hit at the Japanese box office.
Filmmaker Maurice Pialat, who directed the 1987 religious psychodrama Under Satan's Sun, died Saturday in Paris of kidney failure at the age of 77, Variety reports. Pialat made a total of 10 feature films in his career. Under Satan's Sun, which starred Gerard Depardieu as a priest battling temptation, won the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or.
The partner of opera star Luciano Pavarotti gave birth to twins in a hospital in Bologna, Italy, Monday, but a baby boy died of complications involved in the pregnancy, a hospital spokeswoman told Reuters Tuesday. Nicoletta Mantovani, 33, and the baby girl are said to be doing fine. The girl is the first child for Mantovani but the fourth for Pavarotti. The 67-year-old tenor has three daughters from his former wife.
Movies
Get ready for Ocean's Twelve. Director Steven Soderbergh and actor George Clooney are eyeing a possible March 2004 start date to film the sequel to the 2001 Las Vegas crime caper. According to Variety, Warner Bros. is looking to lock down star Brad Pitt and other stars from Ocean's Eleven, as well as new additions. The studio asked screenwriter George Nolfi to give his pre-existing Honor Among Thieves script an Ocean's Eleven twist for the sequel, which could be set for a possible holiday 2004 release.
Tube
U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Preska denied a bid Monday by CBS to stop rival ABC from airing a competing series, I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here, which it called a Survivor rip-off. CBS filed the copyright infringement suit in November seeking a court order to stop ABC from airing the show in the United States, but Preska refused the motion after finding that the shows were not substantially similar, Reuters reports.
CBS, meanwhile, plans to cancel the popular drama Touched by an Angel, AP reports. The TV series stars Roma Downey as a helpful angel on Earth, along with Della Reese, John Dye and Valerie Bertinelli. The May finale will include scenes showing heaven, which executive producer Martha Williamson said has yet to be depicted on the show. Touched by an Angel premiered in Sept. 1994.
While no deal is done, NBC and producer Warner Bros. TV have moved closer to a pact to keep the White House drama The West Wing on the network. Insiders told Variety that NBC will likely pay Warner Bros. a license fee of about $4 million to $5 million per episode--more than double what the network currently shells out for the show. The two sides are still hammering out terms of an agreement.

SwimFan made an unexpectedly big box office splash, opening in first place to $12.4 million.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding continued dancing in second place, holding beautifully with $10.6 million. With its cume now at $96 million, Wedding is heading for an enormously profitable $125 million or more.
City by the Sea washed ashore quietly in third place with $9.1 million.
Signs placed fourth with $8.0 million while its cume entered mega-milestone territory with $205.8 million.
xXx finished fifth with $5.5 million as its cume reached $131 million.
With no new blockbusters driving the fall's first post-Labor Day weekend, key films (those grossing $500,000 or more) were down marginally by about 1 percent -- $68.2 million versus last year's $68.8 million. It was the eighth consecutive weekend in which business was down from last year.
THE TOP TEN
20th Century Fox's PG-13 thriller SwimFan kicked off atop the chart to a surprisingly strong ESTIMATED $12.43 million at 2,855 theaters ($4,354 per theater).
Directed by John Polson, it stars Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen and Shiri Appleby.
Asked why SwimFan hadn't tracked like it would end up being the weekend's number one film, Fox executive vice president, distribution Rick Myerson said Sunday morning, "The tracking is a guide. It's not the Ouija board that gives you exact information. We noticed that the tracking for young females and young males was increasing all week. I think sometimes what people do is look at the overall tracking rather than get into the specifics.
"The audience was young females and young males and that started to come on (stronger) at the end of the week. There hadn't been a movie for young females since Blue Crush and there hadn't been a movie for young males since xXx. So all of a sudden they saw, 'Hey, this is the perfect vehicle for me. Let's go.' I think that had something to do with it."
IFC Films' release of Gold Circle Films and HBO's PG rated romantic comedy sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding held on to second place in its 21st week with a still outstanding ESTIMATED $10.59 million (-5%) at 1,695 theaters (+76 theaters; $6,249 per theater). Its cume is approximately $96.0 million, well on its way to $125 million or more in domestic theaters.
Wedding's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Directed by Joel Zwick, it stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.
Going into the weekend, with SwimFan not tracking like it would place first, insiders had speculated that Wedding could move up to the top spot.
"We fell a few meters short of SwimFan, but can't complain about a $10 million (plus) weekend that dropped off only 5 percent from a holiday weekend," IFC distribution head Rob Schwarz said Sunday morning.
Franchise Pictures R rated cop drama City by the Sea, released through Warner Bros., opened in third place with an uneventful ESTIMATED $9.14 million at 2,575 theaters ($3,550 per theater).
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones, it stars Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand and James Franco.
Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13 rated supernatural thriller blockbuster Signs slid three rungs to fourth place in its sixth week with an OK ESTIMATED $8.0 million (-41%) at 3,232 theaters (-205 theaters; $2,475 per theater). Its cume is approximately $205.8 million, heading for $225 million.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, it stars Mel Gibson.
Revolution Studios and Columbia's PG-13 rated action adventure thriller xXx slipped two notches to fifth place in its fifth week with a still macho ESTIMATED $5.5 million (-47%) at 3,088 theaters (-448 theaters; $1,791 per theater). Its cume is approximately $131.0 million.
Directed by Rob Cohen and produced by Neal H. Moritz, it stars Vin Diesel, Asia Argento and Marton Csokas.
"We keep working our way towards $150 million or very close to it and couldn't be more pleased," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing &amp; distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning.
Miramax/Dimension Films' PG rated family comedy sequel Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams dropped two pegs to sixth place in its fifth week with a dull ESTIMATED $3.0 million (-50%) at 2,821 theaters (-429 theaters; $1,063 per theater). Its cume is approximately $73.9 million.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez, it stars Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino.
New Line's PG-13 rated comedy sequel Austin Powers in Goldmember slid one post to seventh place in its seventh week with a less lively ESTIMATED $2.76 million (-50%) at 2,102 theaters (-404 theaters; $1,308 per theater). Its cume is approximately $207.1 million.
Directed by Jay Roach, it stars Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles and Michael Caine.
Asked where Goldmember is heading, New Line distribution president David Tuckerman said Sunday morning, "somewhere between $210-215 million probably." The previous sequel Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me did $205.4 million in domestic theaters in 1999.
MDP Worldwide's R rated horror film feardotcom fell three notches to eighth place via Warner Bros. in its second week with a soft ESTIMATED $2.35 million (-50%) at 2,550 theaters (theater count unchanged; $920 per theater). Its cume is approximately $10.5 million.
Directed by William Malone, it stars Stephen Dorff, Natascha McElhone and Stephen Rea.
Columbia took ninth place with what Sony called an "encore release" of its PG-13 rated blockbusters Spider-Man and Men in Black II with an ESTIMATED $2.0 million at 2,078 theaters ($962 per theater). Sony did not release a new cume for each film, but put the double bill's "encore release cume" at $2.0 million.
Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man stars Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris.
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, Men In Black II stars Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith.
"It's an encore run prior to what looks like spectacular video and DVD releases on each," Sony's Jeff Blake said Sunday morning. "Spider-Man on Oct. 31, a special Halloween release date. And a Thanksgiving release date on Men In Black II."
Rounding out the Top Ten was Universal and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13 rated romantic surfer girl comedy Blue Crush with a calm ESTIMATED $1.81 million (-59%) at 2,009 theaters (-811 theaters; $900 per theater). Its cume is approximately $37.2 million.
Directed by John Stockwell and produced by Brian Grazer and Karen Kehela, it stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Matthew Davis, Sanoe Lake and Mika Boorem.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend saw the arrival of no other noteworthy releases.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated comedy The Good Girl went wider in its fifth week with a solid ESTIMATED $1.5 million (-48%) at 690 theaters (+23 theaters; $2,210 per theater). Its cume is approximately $9.7 million.
Directed by Miguel Arteta, it stars Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.
Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated thriller One Hour Photo continued to expand well in its third week with a strong ESTIMATED $1.45 million (-42%) at 173 theaters (+9 theaters; $8,382 per theater). Its cume is approximately $5.9 million.
Written and directed by Mark Romanek, it stars Robin Williams.
"Next Friday it expands to 1,200 runs," a Fox Searchlight spokesman said Sunday morning.
Focus Features' romantic drama Possession added a few more theaters in its fourth week with a still hopeful ESTIMATED $0.98 million (-49%) at 616 theaters (+2 theaters; $1,590 per theater). Its cume is approximately $7.9 million.
Directed by Neil LaBute, it stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart.
Paramount Classics' PG rated German romantic comedy Mostly Martha went wider in its fourth week with an OK ESTIMATED $0.3 million (-31%) at 70 theaters (+4 theaters; $3,720 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.2 million.
Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, it stars Martina Gedeck.
United Artists' R rated comedy 24 Hour Party People, released through MGM, continued to widen and hold well in its fifth week with an ESTIMATED $93,000 at 35 theaters (+3 theaters; $2,649 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.8 million.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom, it stars Steve Coogan.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films--those grossing more than $500,000--took in approximately $68.18 million for the weekend, down a marginal 0.93 percent from last year when they totaled $68.82 million.
Key films cannot be compared to the previous weekend of this year, which was a four day holiday weekend.
Last year, Universal's opening week of The Musketeer was first with $10.31 million at 2,438 theaters ($4,230 per theater); and Sony's opening week of Two Can Play That Game was second with $7.72 million at 1,297 theaters ($5,953 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $18.0 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $23.0 million.

Hollywood's summer, which came in like a lion with Spider-Man in early May, went out like a lamb over Labor Day weekend with ticket sales down nearly 12 percent from last year.
Nonetheless, there were strong holiday weekend ticket sales for two of the summer's big successes -- Signs and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Both pictures have performed very considerably better than insiders ever expected.
Signs, the summer's last mega-blockbuster to arrive, remained posted in first place with $15.8 million for four days. It is this summer's only film to place first for three weeks. Although no film did it consecutively, Signs was number one its opening weekend and then returned to the top spot in weekends four and five. With its cume now over $194 million and heading for $225 million,Signs ranks as Mel Gibson's biggest grossing film ever, eclipsing What Women Want with $182.5 million.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the summer's sleeper hit, added 290 engagements and soared to second place with $14.1 million. Made for only about $5 million, its cume is now $81.5 million and on its way to an enormously profitable $100 million.
XXX nailed down third place with $12.6 million. feardotcom logged on quietly in fourth place with $6.6 million. Austin Powers in Goldmember rounded out the top five with $6.5 million.
With no new openings to drive ticket sales, key films -- those grossing $500,000 or more -- fell 11.8 percent from last year with $100.1 million for four days versus $113.5 million last Labor Day weekend. This was the seventh consecutive weekend in which the marketplace was down compared to last year.
Hollywood was happy to see that Sunday's weather map showed rain up and down the East Coast as well as along the Gulf Coast and in parts of the mid-west. That could give Sunday ticket sales across the board a boost and help raise today's estimates a notch when they are fine tuned Monday.
THE TOP TEN
Today's grosses are for the four day holiday period from Friday through Monday and reflect industry estimates circulating Sunday morning. Studios will announce their four day estimates Monday and will release final figures Tuesday. Percentage comparisons are not indicated today because the prior weekend was a regular three day weekend.
Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13 rated supernatural thriller blockbuster Signs held solidly atop the chart in its fifth week with an ESTIMATED $15.8 million at 3,437 theaters (-16 theaters; $4,597 per theater). Its cume is approximately $194.2 million, heading for $225 million. (Its three day gross was an ESTIMATED $12.9 million.)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, it stars Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix.
"By the way, the last movie to be number one in its fifth week was The Sixth Sense," a spokesperson for BV pointed out Sunday morning. Sixth Sense, of course, was also directed by Shyamalan.
"It's remarkable to think we finally have a picture this summer that was number one for three weeks," Buena Vista Distribution president Chuck Viane said Sunday morning. "Everything else seems to have had two weeks and then got bumped off. We only had one week (in first place) and then we came back and picked up two more. The legs of this picture really speak volumes for how much the public likes the movie.
"Yesterday (Saturday), the picture became Mel Gibson's highest grossing film ever. And we still have probably $30 million worth of gross left. What Women Want did (about) $182 million. That as Mel's biggest picture."
Focusing on Signs' success, Viane observed, "It's the movie. The movie is playing great and the audience is responding that way. There's not many pictures that come into a Labor Day weekend and actually go up in gross over the previous weekend and this is one of them."
IFC Films' release of Gold Circle Films and HBO's PG rated romantic comedy sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding continued to expand in its 20th week, rising two pegs to second place with an amazingly hot ESTIMATED $14.13 million at 1,619 theaters (+290 theaters; $8,727 per theater). Its cume is approximately $81.9 million, heading for $100 million or more in domestic theaters. (Its three day gross was an ESTIMATED $11.1 million.)
Wedding's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Directed by Joel Zwick, it stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.
Revolution Studios and Columbia's PG-13 rated action adventure thriller XXX slipped one notch to third place in its fourth week with a still muscular ESTIMATED $12.6 million at 3,536 theaters (+19 theaters; $3,550 per theater). Its cume is approximately $123.3 million. (Its three day gross was an ESTIMATED $10.2 million.)
Directed by Rob Cohen and produced by Neal H. Moritz, it stars Vin Diesel, Asia Argento and Marton Csokas.
MDP Worldwide's R rated horror film feardotcom opened in fourth place to a weak ESTIMATED $6.6 million at 2,550 theaters ($2,588 per theater). (Its three day gross was an ESTIMATED $5.6 million.)
Directed by William Malone, it stars Stephen Dorff, Natascha McElhone and Stephen Rea. It was produced by Moshe Diamant and Limor Diamant and executive produced by Elie Samaha, Andrew Stevens, David Saunders, Mark Damon, Rudy Cohen, Frank Hubner and Romain Schroeder.
feardotcom is being distributed by Warner Bros. through its overall rent-a-system deal with Samaha's Franchise Films.
New Line's PG-13 rated comedy sequel Austin Powers in Goldmember rose two rungs to fifth place in its sixth week with a less amusing ESTIMATED $6.5 million at 2,506 theaters (-299 theaters; $2,594 per theater). Its cume is approximately $202.9 million. (Its three day gross was an ESTIMATED $5.2 million.)
Directed by Jay Roach, it stars Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles and Michael Caine.
Miramax/Dimension Films' PG rated family comedy sequel Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams slipped three pegs to sixth place in its fourth week with a slow ESTIMATED $6.3 million at 3,250 theaters (-57 theaters; $1,938 per theater). Its cume is approximately $68.1 million. (Its three day gross was an ESTIMATED $5.3 million.)
Directed by Robert Rodriguez, it stars Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino.
Universal and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13 rated romantic surfer girl comedy Blue Crush fell two waves to seventh place in its third week with a less sexy ESTIMATED $5.23 million at 2,820 theaters (-195 theaters; $1,855 per theater). Its cume is approximately $34.4 million.
Directed by John Stockwell and produced by Brian Grazer and Karen Kehela, it stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Matthew Davis, Sanoe Lake and Mika Boorem.
Paramount and Mandalay's PG-13 rated comedy Serving Sara dropped two posts to eighth place in its second week with an unfunny ESTIMATED $4.4 million at 2,174 theaters ($2,045 per theater). Its cume is approximately $12.0 million.
Directed by Reginald Hudlin, it stars Matthew Perry and Elizabeth Hurley.
Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated comedy The Good Girl went wider in its fourth week and placed ninth with a still impressive ESTIMATED $3.5 million at 667 theaters (+479 theaters; $5,247 per theater). Its cume is approximately $7.1 million. (Its three day gross was an ESTIMATED $2.7 million.)
Directed by Miguel Arteta, it stars Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.
"It's a terrific expansion," Fox Searchlight distribution president Stephen Gilula said Sunday morning. "The film is playing very well across the country in large and small cities, suburban and urban areas. I think people are intrigued by the nature of the story. It has hilarious moments and it also has some dark moments and some very touching family and very personal moments.
"It's a very distinctive film that people have interest in. The ensemble performances of Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and the rest of the cast really have generated a lot of word of mouth."
Based on Sunday morning estimates there was a close race for tenth place. DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox's R rated adult appeal drama Road To Perdition, which was 11th last week, tied for tenth place in its eighth week with an okay ESTIMATED $3.1 million at 1,763 theaters (-100 theaters; $1,758 per theater). Its cume is approximately $98.1 million. (Its three day gross was an ESTIMATED $2.4 million.)
Directed by Sam Mendes, it stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law.
Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated thriller One Hour Photo, which began expanding in its second week, tied for tenth place with a very encouraging ESTIMATED $3.1 million at 163 theaters ($19,018 per theater). Its cume is approximately $3.6 million. (Its three day gross was an ESTIMATED $2.5 million.)
Written and directed by Mark Romanek, it stars Robin Williams.
"This is another very distinctive film, a very singular vision of the writer-director Mark Romanek," Fox Searchlight's Stephen Gilula said. "He got a terrific performance out of Robin Williams. It has clearly captivated the public and was done largely with word of mouth. We haven't done much in advertising. But I think that (its success reflects) Robin Williams' performance, which has been talked about a lot, combined with a very, very compelling concept -- that the man that develops your photos could be watching you and looking at your life. Everyone understands that concept. It's a very mesmerizing performance and a very chilling, creepy movie.
"Both The Good Girl and One Hour Photo really stand out at the end of summer. The big movies have all played and if you want to go out and see something that's more stimulating and thought provoking, (these are perfect choices). We're very, very pleased and very fortunate how well these films (have been embraced by moviegoers)."
TOP SUMMER GROSSING FILMS
This summer's top grossing films -- releases that have either grossed $100 million-plus or are clearly on the track to do so shortly -- are ranked below according to their approximate cumes through Labor Day weekend:
(1) Spider-Man - Columbia Pictures - $403.7 million
(2) Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones - 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm - $300.6 million
(3) Austin Powers in Goldmember - New Line Cinema - $202.9 million
(4) Signs -- Buena Vista/Touchstone - $194.2 million
(5) Men In Black II - Columbia Pictures - $190.2 million
(6) Scooby-Doo - Warner Bros. - $151.9 million
(7) Lilo &amp; Stitch - Buena Vista/Disney - $141.6 million
(8) Minority Report - 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Pictures - $130.6 million
(9) Mr. Deeds - Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures - $124.2 million
(10) XXX - Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures - $123.3 million
(11) The Sum Of All Fears - Paramount Pictures - $118.3 million
(12) The Bourne Identity - Universal Pictures - $118.0 million
(13) Road To Perdition - DreamWorks Pictures and 20th Century Fox - $98.1 million
(14) My Big Fat Greek Wedding - IFC Films - $81.9 million
This summer produced a dozen films that cracked $100 million and two others that are about to do so. Last summer 10 films hit $100 million and three films wound up grossing in the low $90 millions. Last summer's top grossing film, DreamWorks' animated feature Shrek, grossed $262.9 million.
Notably lacking from the list of summer successes starring superstars is Paramount and InterMedia Films' costly budget action adventure K-19: The Widowmaker, starring Harrison Ford, one of the summer's biggest disappointments. After opening to negative reviews, the Russian nuclear submarine drama sank immediately at the box office. Its cume is approximately $34.4 million.
Also not making the superstar success list is Warner Bros.' The Adventures of Pluto Nash, starring Eddie Murphy. It, too, was slaughtered by the critics and opened poorly. Its cume is approximately $4 million.
TOP TEN SUMMER OPENINGS
This summer's Top Ten films ranked by their opening weekend grosses were:
(1) Spider-Man - Columbia Pictures - $114.8 million
(2) Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones - 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm - $80.0 million
(3) Austin Powers in Goldmember - New Line Cinema - $73.1 million
(4) Signs -- Buena Vista/Touchstone - $60.1 million
(5) Scooby-Doo - Warner Bros. - $54.2 million
(6) Men In Black II - Columbia Pictures - $52.1 million
(7) XXX - Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures - $44.5 million
(8) Mr. Deeds - Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures - $37.2 million
(9) Minority Report - 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Pictures - $35.7 million
(10) Lilo &amp; Stitch - Buena Vista/Disney - $35.3 million
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of Sony Pictures Classics' R rated Spanish drama Mad Love to an okay ESTIMATED $29,000 at 3 theaters ($9,798 per theater).
Directed by Vicente Aranda, it stars Pilar Lopez de Ayala.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend Focus Features' romantic drama Possession went wider in its third week to a promising ESTIMATED $2.4 million at 612 theaters (+269 theaters; $3,985 per theater). Its cume is approximately $6.4 million.
Directed by Neil LaBute, it stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart.
Buena Vista/Disney's PG rated animated family appeal feature Lilo &amp; Stitch widened again over Labor Day weekend in its 11th week to mop up an ESTIMATED $1.2 million at 1,653 theaters (+1,175 theaters; $765 per theater). Its cume is approximately $141.6 million.
Written and directed by Chris Sanders, it was produced by Clark Spencer.
Paramount Classics' PG rated German romantic comedy Mostly Martha went wider in its third week with an okay ESTIMATED $0.5 million at 66 theaters (+39 theaters; $7,245 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.8 million.
Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, it stars Martina Gedeck.
United Artists' R rated comedy 24 Hour Party People, released through MGM, continued to widen and hold well in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $0.18 million at 32 theaters (+9 theaters; $5,595 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.6 million.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom, it stars Steve Coogan.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $100.05 million for the four day weekend, down 11.82 percent from last year when they totaled $113.46 million for four days.
Key films cannot be compared to the previous weekend of this year, which was a regular three day weekend.
Last year, MGM's opening week of Jeepers Creepers was first with $15.83 million at 2.944 theaters ($5,378 per theater); and New Line's fourth week of Rush Hour 2 was second with $11.71 million at 2,825 theaters ($4,146 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $27.5 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $29.9 million.

XXX still marked the top spot at the box office with $23 million.
Signs held strongly in second place with $19.5 million.
Blue Crush made a nice splash in third place, opening to $15.2 million.
Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams was a quiet fourth with $11.6 million. Austin Powers in Goldmember was still laughing in fifth place with $8.7 million. A major expansion in its 18th week of release sent My Big Fat Greek Wedding into sixth place with a big fat $5.8 million.
The weekend's other wide opening, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, was orbiting in box office outer space with a cold as ice $2.2 million in tenth place.
With no new blockbusters driving ticket sales, key films -- those grossing $500,000 or more -- were down about 3 percent from last year with $106.8 million versus $110.4 million. It was the fifth consecutive weekend in which the marketplace was down compared to last year.
THE TOP TEN
Revolution Studios and Columbia's PG-13 rated action adventure thriller XXX showed strong legs, holding on to first place in its second week with a solid ESTIMATED $23.0 million (-48%) at 3,388 theaters (+14 theaters; $6,789 per theater). Its cume is approximately $84.9 million.
XXX's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Directed by Rob Cohen and produced by Neal H. Moritz, it stars Vin Diesel, Asia Argento and Marton Csokas.
"Down only 48 percent is one of the best holds of the summer," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing &amp; distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning.
"It's a tick better (hold) than even Signs last week (which had dropped 51 percent), which obviously is a good holding picture going forward. It looks like we are, too. And it's a tick better than what Fast and the Furious' drop was, as well (last summer with a 50 percent fall in its second weekend)."
Asked where XXX is heading, Blake replied, "Fast and the Furious is as good a guidebook as any and, as I say, we're tracking better. At the end of 10 days, they had in $77.8 million and had had a second weekend of $20 million, down 50 percent, so we're definitely tracking better just about every day so far. They ended up with a very nice total of $144.5 million. I'd have to say we're setting our sights slightly higher than that. To be honest, as we look ahead there's a lot less to stop us."
Looking ahead, Blake said, "I think, clearly, XXX and Signs are the two pictures emerging out of the summer that are really going to get sampled as the summer winds down and fall begins. We are number one for the second week in a row, joining Spider-Man, Star Wars, Sum of All Fears and Men in Black II, very nice company, as the only pictures to be number one two weeks in a row this summer. And we've got a real shot to be number one three weeks in a row, which nobody has done. Nobody made it three weeks in a row. Spider-Man had (competition from the opening of) Star Wars in week three. And Star Wars had Sum of All Fears.
"I don't share the thought that the opening was anything but terrific, but I think it does make the point that if you can't get open to a big level even though it's a little harder to produce the box car numbers in late summer the advantage is that you can hold for a while if you're a picture that plays. And this picture certainly plays."
Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13 rated supernatural thriller Signs held very well in second place in its third week with a steady ESTIMATED $19.5 million (-34%) at 3,344 theaters (+34 theaters; $5,843 per theater). Its cume is approximately $150.7 million.
Directed by M Night Shyamalan, it stars Mel Gibson.
Universal and Imagine Entertainment's PG-13 rated romantic surfer girl comedy Blue Crush opened third to a sexy ESTIMATED $15.18 million at 3,002 theaters ($5,055 per theater).
Directed by John Stockwell and produced by Brian Grazer and Karen Kehela, it stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Matthew Davis, Sanoe Lake and Mika Boorem.
"The Blue Crush results are a solid opening for what is a fun film that delivers to its target audience," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning.
Focusing on what went in to achieving the solid launch, Rocco noted, "We're very proud of what everybody (at the studio) has done. Certainly, marketing created an incredible hype for young females and distribution did a tremendous job in dating the film. I think the producers of the film delivered something that was very different and unique.
"We have a picture that has a subject matter (bikini babes at the beach and summer romance) that is 40 years old. To take it and reinvent this old genre for today's audience is quite an accomplishment. And I'm very pleased with the results."
Miramax/Dimension Films' PG rated family comedy sequel Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams slipped one peg to fourth place in its second week with a low energy ESTIMATED $11.6 million (-31%) at 3,307 theaters (theater count unchanged; $3,508 per theater). Its cume is approximately $45.7 million.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez, it stars Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino.
New Line's PG-13 rated comedy sequel Austin Powers in Goldmember fell one notch to fifth place in its fourth week with a less frenetic ESTIMATED $8.7 million (-33%) at 3,113 theaters (-395 theaters; $2,795 per theater). Its cume is approximately $183.9 million.
Directed by Jay Roach, it stars Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles and Michael Caine.
Gold Circle Films and HBO's PG rated romantic comedy sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding continued to expand in its 18th week via IFC Films, rising two slots to sixth place with an outstanding ESTIMATED $5.8 million at 1,060 theaters (+337 theaters; $5,472 per theater). Its cume is approximately $52.8 million, heading for $60 million or more in domestic theaters.
Directed by Joel Zwick, it stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.
Warner Bros.' R rated thriller Blood Work dropped two posts to seventh place in its second week with a less thrilling ESTIMATED $4.8 million (-33%) at 2,525 theaters
(theater count unchanged; $1,901 per theater). Its cume is approximately $15.3 million.
Produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, it stars Eastwood.
DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox's R rated adult appeal drama Road to Perdition slipped one peg to eighth place in its sixth week, holding very well with an ESTIMATED $3.8 million (-9%) at 1,914 theaters (-297 theaters; $1,999 per theater). Its cume is approximately $90.3 million.
Directed by Sam Mendes, it stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law.
Revolution Studios and Columbia's low budget PG rated family comedy Master of Disguise dropped three levels to ninth place in its third week with a calm ESTIMATED $3.3 million (-35%) at 2,137 theaters (-431 theaters; $1,544 per theater). Its cume is approximately $30.4 million.
Directed by Perry Andelin Blake, it stars Dana Carvey.
Rounding out the Top Ten was Castle Rock Entertainment's opening via Warner Bros. of its (in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment) PG-13 rated sci-fi action comedy The Adventures of Pluto Nash to a soft ESTIMATED $2.15 million at 2,320 theaters ($927 per theater).
Directed by Ron Underwood, it stars Eddie Murphy and was produced by Martin Bregman, Michael Bregman and Louis A. Stroller.
Pluto, a very expensive special effects picture, was originally developed at Universal, which put it in turnaround years ago. With Pluto, having bounced around Warners' release schedule for some time, insiders were not anticipating a good opening.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of Focus Features' romantic drama Possession to a very encouraging ESTIMATED $1.61 million at 270 theaters ($5,975 per theater).
Directed by Neil LaBute, it stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart.
"We had a good weekend," Focus Features distribution president Jack Foley said Sunday morning. "It competed nicely in the marketplace. It ranked up among the more competitive films in a lot of the multiplexes -- in the top three and four and five ranks.
That's not bad considering XXX and Signs are still pounding in there. In commercial houses we were very, very well attended. And in the upscale and art houses around the country we were ranking in the number one and two positions.
"So we're really happy with this opening. It puts us in a position to think that we can persist very nicely through the upcoming weeks and months and serve a demo out there that really isn't being served aggressively at this stage of the game outside of what Greek Wedding is doing. A lot of those people have seen Greek Wedding, so we can easily fill that slot for an alternative kind of programming picture."
Looking ahead, Foley explained, "Next week we're going to expand the top 17 markets a bit that we're in right now. Then on Labor Day we'll go wide with the picture. I'm very, very happy that the country embraced the film."
Paramount Classics' PG rated German romantic comedy Mostly Martha opened to a hopeful ESTIMATED $41,000 at 2 theaters ($20,445 per theater).
Written and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, it stars Martina Gedeck.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend Fox Searchlight Pictures' R rated comedy The Good Girl went wider in its second week with a still impressive ESTIMATED $0.83 million at 60 theaters (+56 theaters; $13,800 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.1 million.
Directed by Miguel Arteta, it stars Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.
"We had a very, very good expansion," Fox Searchlight distribution president Stephen Gilula said Sunday morning.
"We added 56 theaters in an additional 18 cities (for a total of) 20 cities across the country. It's terrific. The regional cities have supported the film extremely well.
"The four holdover theaters held extremely well even though we added quite a few theaters in Manhattan and L.A. We picked up very good momentum. The regional reviews were very, very strong around the country. So we're quite optimistic about the next wave of our expansion."
This Friday, Gilula said, "We'll open up in 29 more cities and expand further into 50 cities. So we should be on Friday, Aug. 23 in approximately 175 theaters. The following week, which is Labor Day weekend, we'll expand nationally to 500 or more theaters."
Miramax's PG-13 romantic comedy Tadpole expanded in its fifth week to a slow ESTIMATED $0.31 million at 151 theaters (+59 theaters; $2,019 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.5 million.
Directed by Gary Winick, it stars Sigourney Weaver, John Ritter, Bebe Neuwirth and Aaron Stanford.
Focus Features' R rated The Kid Stays in the Picture, the "unbelievable true tale of Robert Evans," continued to widen in its fourth week, holding well with an ESTIMATED $0.18 million at 56 theaters (+11 theaters; $3,257 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.8 million.
Produced and directed by Brett Morgen and Nanette Burstein and produced by Graydon Carter, Kid is based on the book by Robert Evans.
"It's very steady and very solid in the previously expanded markets," Focus Features' Jack Foley said. "It didn't experience much of a drop in them, particularly in New York and L.A., where it's really got a great foothold."
United Artists' R rated comedy 24 Hour Party People, released through MGM, expanded in its second week to a still happy ESTIMATED $0.16 million at 18 theaters (+16 theaters; $8,674 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.2 million.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom, it stars Steve Coogan.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $106.84 million, down 3.19 percent from last year when they totaled $110.37 million.
Key films were down about 21.71 percent from the previous weekend of this year when they grossed $136.44 million.
Last year, Universal's second week of American Pie 2 was first with $21.1 million at 3,072 theaters ($6,870 per theater); and New Line's third week of Rush Hour 2 was second with $19.02 million at 3,080 theaters ($6,177 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $40.1 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $42.5 million.

Strong openings for "The Mexican" and "See Spot Run" sent "Hannibal" south of the box office border after three weeks in first place.
DreamWorks' R-rated drama "The Mexican" kicked off to a record-setting estimated $20.3 million at 2,951 theaters ($6,879 per theater). Its powerful box office punch proved audiences cared more about Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts' superstar luster than the film's lackluster reviews.
"The Mexican" had the highest per-theater average for any film playing in wide release last weekend.
"For the first week in March, this is the biggest opening ever," DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp said Sunday morning, noting that it beats the $17.2 million opening for "The Hunt For Red October" when it surfaced on March 2, 1990. "It's one of the bigger March openings. Last year, on March 17, 'Erin Brockovich' did $28.1 million."
"It could be a little better than this (estimate), but there's a storm moving into the Northeast so we dropped the Sunday estimate," Tharp said, noting that this morning some Hollywood handicappers were estimating an even bigger opening weekend. "I don't know what the impact (of the snowstorm) is going to be."
The film's reviews, Tharp commented, "were mixed. There were some good ones and some not so good. But I think it is a credit to the star power of those two, plus James Gandolfini is well known. I think that people who saw the movie liked it. Part of the issue with the critics is that your expectations are one thing when you see a Julia Roberts movie and this is totally different. A little quirky, maybe, for some of the critics."
"Mexican" reportedly was made for only about $40 million, with both of its superstars taking much less than their usual salaries.
Directed by Gore Verbinski, "Mexican" stars Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.
Warner Bros.' G-rated family appeal comedy "See Spot Run" from Village Roadshow Pictures was running hard in second place, opening to a frisky estimated $10.2 million at 2,656 theaters ($3,840 per theater).
An additional draw for family audiences was the fact that Warners advertised that it is showing with "Spot" the first trailer for its much-awaited "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," opening this November.
"'Spot' has run well. He ate 'Hannibal' today," Warner Bros. Distribution president Dan Fellman said Sunday morning. "The exits are great. It's not an expensive movie. So it's all very, very good news."
Reportedly made for only about $15 million, "Spot" should be profitable in theaters and then have big potential in home video thanks to its family appeal.
Fellman was waiting to receive Saturday's exit poll data, but said it should be in line with Friday's research, which found "it was 96% in the top two boxes (excellent and very good) and the definite recommend was 86%. So it looks great. Word of mouth is terrific. That's why we had such a great Saturday. And we'll have a great Sunday, as well, because the weather's helping us. It's not snowing (on the East Coast yet). It's going to snow tonight. The reactions starting with our sneaks (last Sunday) were great, so it led to a solid opening.
"And we put the 'Harry Potter' trailer on it and advertised it, so it certainly was added value for the family. It just helped brand the movie (as family entertainment) the way we wanted to brand it. Reaction to the trailer was just spectacular, so we're very, very excited about that. That's a monster movie for us and it will be a great franchise for the company."
Directed by John Whitesel, "Run" stars David Arquette.
MGM and Universal's R-rated thriller "Hannibal" fell two pegs to third place in its fourth week with a less mouthwatering estimated $10.05 million (-36%) at 3,272 theaters (-20 theaters; $3,072 per theater). Its cume is approximately $142.8 million, heading for $175 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Ridley Scott and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, Martha De Laurentiis and Ridley Scott, "Hannibal" stars Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore.
"We're happy," MGM worldwide distribution president Larry Gleason said Sunday morning.
Gleason pointed out that MGM's next release, the PG-13-rated comedy "Heartbreakers" from David Entertainment is being screened Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. for exhibitors attending the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas and will then receive a double sneak before its March 23 opening. The picture is generating an advance buzz as a potential spring sleeper hit.
"It's going to be the first screening to kick off ShoWest," Gleason said. "Then we have a preview this Saturday night (March 10) at 700 theaters and then we're planning to (sneak it at) 1,000 theaters the following Saturday (March 17)."
Directed by David Mirkin and produced by John Davis and Irving Ong, "Heartbreakers" stars Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, Jeffrey Jones and Gene Hackman.
Paramount's PG-13-rated comedy "Down to Earth" slid two slots to fourth place in its third week with a still solid estimated $8.0 million (-29%) at 2,521 theaters (theater count unchanged; $3,173 per theater). Its cume is approximately $44.1 million.
Directed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, "Earth" stars Chris Rock.
Sony Pictures Classics' Oscar-contending, PG-13-rated action adventure "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" held on to fifth place in its 13th week with an energetic estimated $4.93 million (-25%) at 1,751 theaters (+2 theaters; $2,817 per theater). Its cume is approximately $88.7 million.
"Tiger" is nominated for 10 Oscars, including best picture, best foreign language film and best director.
Directed by Ang Lee, "Dragon" stars Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat.
"I feel that we're still on track to reach that $100 million mark before the Oscars, which would be stupendous," Sony Pictures Classics sales vice president Tom Prassis said Sunday morning.
USA Films' R-rated, Oscar-contending drama "Traffic" held on to sixth place in its 10th week with a still impressive estimated $4.51 million (-13%) at 1,617 theaters (-138 theaters; $2,788 per theater). Its cume is approximately $92.3 million.
"Traffic" is nominated for five Oscars, including best picture and best director.
"It's down 13%, an amazing hold against 'The Mexican,' no less," USA distribution president Jack Foley said Sunday morning. "And 'Chocolat' and 'Crouching Tiger' had good holds, too. I think it's (the result of) a couple of things. It's that overbearing interest that America has in the Academy Awards. There's no doubt about it. People are already (making a point of seeing the best picture nominees).
"The benefit of this year's lack of competition among the five best picture group is really (helping) 'Crouching Tiger,' 'Chocolat' and us, since 'Gladiator' and 'Erin Brockovich' really aren't out there. So we have more pie (to carve up between the three nominees who are now in wide release).
"The other thing that I think is very beneficial, as well, is when you look at the list (of new films in the marketplace) -- with all due respect to my competition -- most of the films out there are relatively uninteresting. So people are looking for other choices. You're seeing considerable drops in the commercial pictures going on week after week. So the hole in the market has benefited us, as well."
Foley expects continued strong business for "Traffic" as well as for "Chocolat" and "Crouching Tiger" as the Oscars approach. "As you get down to the Academy Awards, with that momentum ever increasing and grabbing the attention of the public, it's free advertising for us that will motivate people to see these films before the (Oscars are announced March 25). So we're just going to grow further.
"This weekend, we should have had a bigger drop because you're g tting closer (to the Oscars). This puts us in perfect position for business. Depending on how the picture sustains itself next week, we could hit $100 million the week of March 16 or the week of March 23. I had different drops (projected) for the picture, different scenarios that were 65% or 75% of the week prior, and it's actually like 25% or 35% drops. So over the last couple of weeks my hundred million mark was actually drifting down into the beginning of April or the week after the Academy Awards. But as the film has sustained these great holds in the marketplace and the drops are so diminished, I'm now looking at hitting $100 million as early as the week of March 16. And remember this -- the sooner you hit $100 million, the more you go over it. There's more gross (to be made)."
With "Traffic" now at about $92.3 million in domestic theaters, its international business to date brings its worldwide cume to about $115 million, Foley said.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, "Traffic" stars Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Quaid and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Miramax's PG-13-rated, Oscar-contending romantic comedy drama "Chocolat" rose one rung to seventh place in its 12th week with a still tempting estimated $4.2 million (-12%) at 1,857 theaters (+13 theaters; $2,261 per theater). Its cume is approximately $45.7 million.
"Chocolat" is nominated for five Oscars, including best picture.
"It's great," Miramax senior vice president, marketing David Kaminow said Sunday morning. "Probably by the time of the Oscars, we'll be close to $60 million, which is ahead of where 'Cider House Rules' ended its run. We haven't dropped more than 15% on any given week.
"People love the movie. It's an audience pleaser. Somebody said (to me last night), 'The thing about 'Chocolat' is that with all these other movies I've been seeing, everyone's dying at the end. With 'Chocolat,' at least, you go, you have fun, you leave with a smile on your face.' They said, it's a movie you can recommend to anybody. And I think that's what it is. It's a movie for everybody. It's entertaining. You have a good time."
Directed by Lasse Hallstrom, "Chocolat" stars Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp.
Buena Vista/Disney's G-rated animated feature "Recess: School's Out" fell four notches to eighth place in its third week with a less lively estimated $3.9 million (-43%) at 2,503 theaters (-127 theaters; $1,570 per theater). Its cume is approximately $27.6 million.
Directed by Chuck Sheetz, "Recess" was produced by Sheetz and Stephen Swofford and executive produced and created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere.
Franchise Pictures' (via its distribution deal with Warner Bros.) R-rated drama "3000 Miles To Graceland" plunged six slots in its second week to ninth place, with a chilly estimated $3.05 million (-57%) at 2,545 theaters (theater count unchanged; $1,196 per theater). Its cume is approximately $12.2 million.
Directed by Demian Lichtenstein, "Graceland" stars Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner.
Warner Bros. has no financial investment in "Graceland," which it is releasing for Franchise for a distribution fee.
Rounding out the Top Ten this week was Warner Bros. and Bel-Air Entertainment's PG-13-rated romantic drama "Sweet November," down three slots in its third week with a quiet estimated $2.46 million (-52%) at 2,037 theaters (-231 theaters; $1,205 per theater). Its cume is approximately $21.6 million.
Directed by Pat O'Connor, "November" stars Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron.
OTHER OPENINGS Universal Focus' opening of its R-rated thriller "The Caveman's Valentine" arrived to a calm estimated $0.12 million at 16 theaters ($7,745 per theater).
Directed by Kasi Lemmons, "Valentine" stars Samuel L. Jackson.
USA Films' R-rated reality TV satire "Series 7" kicked off to a very encouraging estimated $30,000 at two theaters ($15,094 per theater).
Written and directed by Daniel Minahan, "Series" stars Brooke Smith, Glenn Fitzgerald, Mary Louise Burke, Richard Venture, Michael Kaycheck and Merrit Wever.
SNEAK PREVIEWS There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS On the expansion front, this weekend saw
Sony Pictures Classics go wider with its R-rated drama "Pollock," grossing in its fourth week an encouraging estimated $0.75 million at 104 theaters (+72 theaters; $7,234 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.8 million.
"Pollock" received Oscar nominations for best actor (Ed Harris) and best supporting actress (Marcia Gay Harden).
Directed by Ed Harris, "Pollock" stars Ed Harris and Marcia Gay Harden.
"We're very pleased with that," Sony Pictures Classics sales vice president Tom Prassis said Sunday morning, adding that next week the film will add "substantially more" runs.
USA Films' PG-rated drama "In the Mood For Love" continued to expand in its fifth week with a still encouraging estimated $0.29 million at 64 theaters (+14 theaters; $4,495 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.3 million.
Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai, "Love" stars Tony Leung and Maggie Chung.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $83.79 million, up about 9.53% from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $76.5 million.
This weekend's key film gross was up a marginal 0.05% from last weekend this year when key films did $83.75 million.
Last year, Warner Bros.' third week of "The Whole Nine Yards" was first with $7.17 million at 2,793 theaters ($2,569 per theater); and Paramount's opening week of "The Next Best Thing" was second with $5.87 million at 2,007 theaters ($2,925 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $13.1 million. This year, the top two films grossed an estimated $30.5 million.